The Spoonpluggers Forum

Hal,

Reading your posts, I always thought you were a long time spoonplugger. I was quite surprised to see you are 70 and have only been at it for 3.5 years. I, too, am 70. I have piddled around for a few years, but gotten serious about spoonplugging just this year with the Old Hickory outing. I have often wondered if I am way too late, but you are quite an encouragement to me - thanks!

As probably one of the newest folks here, I will put in my 2 cents --

1. Spoonplugging is not widely known. I stumbled across it by accident, bought the green book, and got some spoonplugs. Over several years I tried to find someone to go with, but until just this year I had never been out with a spoonplugger. And then I was able to go to the Old Hickory Outing. Being on the water with experienced spoonpluggers was an eye-opening experience.

2. Spoonplugs are not widely available - you have to want them. You don't see them at Walmart or Bass Pro - not saying they should be, but how does anyone even know about them? And yes, the spoonplug is only the tool, it won't work without the knowledge; but if you never saw a screwdriver you would still be pounding nails.

3. This is the greatest and most helpful bunch of fishermen I have ever seen, once you get to know them and the Spoonplug philosophy. Yes, it requires work, and it is a discipline, but when an uninitiated neophyte asks a question, the response to "go read the book" can easily be taken as a put down and a turn off. If a math teacher told their students to "go read the book," there would be even fewer people who could count your change back to you.

4. At the risk of being kicked out of here, I have to say this: At the Old Hickory outing, I did not see anyone map anything. To a casual observer, it looked like any other fishermen trolling, just using different lures. I also did not see anyone start in the shallows with a 500. Those that posted the big fish started out deep and stayed there. Nothing wrong with this, but it is confusing when compared with the instructions and guidance posted here and in the book.

I don't believe spoonplugging is at any immediate risk of dying off. Neither do I anticipate it will suddenly become popular. I see it as similar to any craft. You have Hobby Lobby selling kits and supplies - most people will buy a kit, make one thing and quit. Others will buy something and never open it, then sell it at a yard sale. A select few will be inspired & will put in time and effort to learn. Some of these will then inspire and teach others. Spoonplugging is the same way.

Now back to my beginning statement. When I can finally call myself a spoonplugger, people will want to know how I catch fish when others can't. At this point I can begin to bring others into the fold. My son is already intrigued, and I am hoping to get him hooked (pardon the pun).

-- Mike Gold

"" At the Old Hickory outing, I did not see anyone map anything. To a casual observer, it looked like any other fishermen trolling, just using different lures. I also did not see anyone start in the shallows with a 500. Those that posted the big fish started out deep and stayed there. Nothing wrong with this, but it is confusing when compared with the instructions and guidance posted here and in the book.""

I mapped several areas. I also started in the shallows, and my wife and I started with 500 and 400's.

Mike,
Old Hickory is a Delta type lake. The shallows are/were on top of the Delta Humps way out in the middle of the lake along the main channel. We started there and went down from there.
This is why it is important to know the Lake Type you are fishing. The Delta and any feeder channel that cut through it was where I knew to start. I had a map of the lake, i had a Navionics map as well, and I fished the "breaks" in the main channel. And then i drew a pic of my better structures.
Once you begin to understand how important every chapter of that Green book is, then you will understand when and where to start your fishing.

Thank you, Steve. I suspected my comment would generate some response.

I did study the lake (as much as I could) and followed the discussion prior to going. I stand corrected about the mapping, and perhaps others did also and I just didn't see it. I know several came up earlier in the week.

John Bales wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 11:45 am Hal, You continue to get better!!!!! Why? Because you may have had as much or more time on the water than I did. You are self motivated and need no one to push you. You want this!!!!!!!!!! So you put forth the effort that it takes for success. The more success you have, the more you want to see!!! For most of us, that's just the way it works. This was a strange year and I spent a lot of it fishing alone till a few weeks back, but I never stopped going. Yesterday was day 102 on the water. My days are not counted unless the boat comes off the trailer. Anyways, my hat is off to you for your great effort and I will call you when Pigeon is ready. John

JB Thanks for the shout out! You being the only Spoonpluger that I have even fished with and I have actually spoke with you have had a lot to do with where I'm at today. Thank-you! In fact you remind of a few of the dog men that mentored me when I was just a whippersnapper back in the 70's. Your DNA is a direct link to Buck Perry and that is so important when your mentoring and being a coach to ill prepared and uninformed. So many of the Forum members have also helped with encouraging me and sharing Buck's information. Your tips and tricks are greatly appreciated.
As for time on the water I've 1260 hours and still counting on two year Honda 20. You say the word and I'll be at Pigeon Stay safe and for gods sake do not get a cold or the Flu!

Hal

To tn explorer
4. At the risk of being kicked out of here, I have to say this: At the Old Hickory outing, I did not see anyone map anything. To a casual observer, it looked like any other fishermen trolling, just using different lures. I also did not see anyone start in the shallows with a 500. Those that posted the big fish started out deep and stayed there. Nothing wrong with this, but it is confusing when compared with the instructions and guidance posted here and in the book.

I can assure you that all experienced spoonpluggers mapped every thing b4 we fished it.
If we didn't 1st map it we would not known how to fish it.
But did we have to throw out a bunch of markers and then get out pen and paper NO!
With the knowledge we have and the electronics we have ,that is not necessary.
The navionics map of that lake was pretty good so by using it and waypoints and the sonar of our units it was a simple matter to map then fish it.

Long before we went to Old Hickory, I spent hours of map study, the feeder creeks, the main channel in hopes of checking many structures and finding the best ones. My eyes kept going back to the deep hump where most of the biggest stripers were caught. My sights were not on the largemouth, but the striper, although if they would have gotten in the way and were big enough, that could change. We had enough good spoonpluggers checking out what needed to be checked that it was understood early that we would concentrate our efforts on that hump. The thing was 20+ feet deep on top and 1/4 to 1/2 mile long. The shallows on this thing was 20+ feet deep so that is where we started. An hour or so into it, the size and shape , and the best breaklines were all located and it was known where to spend our time. It was hard not to leave because movements were so short and spotty or none at all but in my opinion, it was the best we had. If any of the striper species were in the area, this was our best shot. There were also several large sauger taken off the dam side of the hump also but this was not the area of the sharper breaks.
A conversation with Terry O'malley a while back, we discussed how often he trolled the shallows. He started with laughing and said that in a lot of cases, by the time you get done with the shallows, the movement will be over. Trolling the shallows outside of the seasons that the fish are supposed to be there is only to see if any fish are moving or a tell tale sign of an area that might be productive. When you troll the shallows, you do it quickly and get back to where the adult fish will be. When I fished along side of Mr. Perry in Florida, he told John Z and I to go out to the deeper slot and start working it and he would meet us out there. Mean while he ran his 500 through the thick hydrilla and fought his way all the way to the slot so he does what he tells us to do every time. There is a depth where the adult fish rarely come to and that is 8-10 feet and that is in the best water colors. Buck did not pick that depth. The fish did. I do not care where you fish, this guideline can be put in stone. There will always be that one giant fish that makes it shallow but the school always stops at 8-10 feet and that is on the best movements. Learn to troll the shallows, the mid depths and then 20-40 feet. Once you do that, you will know why the 500's and 400's stay in the box a lot.
When I looked at all the wood sticking out of the water on Old Hickory, I knew that the no bo and the smaller lures in my box would not be used much. We did spend some time with the 250 from the back of the feeder creek where we stayed out to the main channel. One catfish for us. Back to the deep hump for us. John